Well, I am not going to make anything more of it, it was a simple error and was quickly sorted out. But thanks to Eezypeezy for proving me correct in the first instance.
I have since given the 27 a run on the Edinburgh-Aberdeen, using the HST Route file. The 27 looks great. It is many years since I was on one and it was really nice almost being back in the cab once again. I worked on them over the Fraserburgh and Peterhead branchlines and on the mainline to Inverness. Along with the Mann Type 2's and 56's (31's) these were the first locos I learned about from day one.
The wide view is excellent and the loco sounds appear to be very authentic, down to the very noisy compressor(s). I had forgotten about that chunky control handle. The horn is also a nice sound compared to the more modern ones.
One of the nice things too was the lack of TPWS, what a joy to drive without them.
The first run I gave was from Edinburgh to Dalmally, just to see what the 27 would do. It struggled to gain speed and didn't go over 78 mph before the 60mph check approaching Dalmally. However, it gave me a good idea what to expect on a longer run.
Thye second run was from Dundee to Arbroath, which gives a fair length of fast running and would test the loco to see if it could touch 90mph. Once again it struggled out of Dundee and took ages to eventually reach 85 mph before shutting down for Arbroath. The train arrived two minutes late on the HST timings. That doesn't sound much but if it kept the same average loss all the way to Aberdeen that could soon mount up.
However, in spite of that, it was an enjoyable experience. The train handles well and the Sultzer sounds are a joy to hear. I did consider that possibly this particular run could do with double heading, as these locos mainly were when I worked on them.
As mentioned the speed never went over 85 mph, which, as again mentioned, could indicate the need for a bit of double-heading, or a reduction in the train load. Perhaps a route file deliberately programmed for the 27 would show the loco to it's best. Or doesn't that make any difference. I am no BVE programmer.
I liked the wide view and the view out of the window and overall the author has done a grand job of producing the 27. Well Done. Another excellent addition to BVE 4 trains.
Cheers.
Bill EWS.
